Chinese Folding Phones Set New Standard for Hardware
Although this might not be “common knowledge” for those living outside of Asia (more specifically, China), for a while now, the competition amongst Chinese folding phones has been basically as heated as the competition between Samsung, Apple, and Google when it comes to “normal” phones released globally.
Competition Brings Better Products
Of course, competition always means two things – a win for the consumer, and better products. So, it’s not a surprise that Chinese folding phones like the Oppo Find N2, Xiaomi Mix Fold 2, and Huawei Mate X3 have set a new standard for hardware that the likes of Samsung and Google either can’t, or simply have no motivation to reach. And that makes sense – why compete with folding phones that are pretty much exclusive to China (and a few other regions of the world)? But… Sadly for Samsung, things are about to change very soon…
Two Chinese Folding Phones Going Global
And that’s thanks to two Chinese folding phones that promise to launch globally and (finally) push the foldable phone market forward quicker than ever before. The first one, of course, is the heavily leaked OnePlus Open, expected to debut in the US, UK, and Europe at the end of August. But the second, and possibly most impressive folding phone ever, is called the Honor Magic V2, which was recently unveiled in China.
Honor Magic V2’s Global Variant Expected in September
The good news for folding phone enthusiasts around the world is that the Honor Magic V2’s global variant is now expected to arrive in September (at IFA Berlin). The bad news for North American folding phone enthusiasts is that the Honor Magic V2 isn’t likely to make it to the US and Canada. But the shocking news for Samsung is, well… that the new Galaxy Z Fold 5 (coming July 26) will see its toughest competition ever – whether that’s because of the Honor Magic V2 in the UK and Europe, or the OnePlus Open in the US, UK, and Europe.
Why Galaxy Z Fold 5 Faces Tough Competition
So, here’s why it’s now virtually impossible for the new Galaxy Z Fold 5 to be the best new folding phone on the market… I challenge you to prove me wrong, Samsung! Truly magical Honor Magic V2 foldable sets new Galaxy Z Fold 5 up for fail – unless Samsung is hiding huge big surprises
Honor Magic V2 Sets New Standard in Foldable Hardware
The Honor Magic V2 sets a new standard when it comes to foldable hardware. It doesn’t feel much different than an iPhone 14 Pro Max. First of all, I don’t know how you feel about spoilers but here come a bunch of them… I want to start by saying that this story focuses on the new Honor Magic V2 in the context of the Galaxy Z Fold 5, and the reason is because one is the most mind-blowing folding phone I’ve ever seen, and the other is expected to be the most popular folding phone of 2023. It makes sense to talk about both at the same time.
Honor Magic V2’s Impressive Specs
Anyway… Whatever I say about Honor’s brand new Magic V2 will be an understatement, because this thing looks like a true engineering marvel, and as a “tech guy”, this isn’t a term I’m throwing around just like this. I really don’t think a phone’s name has ever been more accurate at describing what it represents. It really looks like Magic. Just take a look at the specs of the Honor Magic V2…
Impressive Specs of Honor Magic V2:
- Only 9.9 mm when folded; 4.7 mm when unfolded; 231 grams light (current record)
- One-of-a-kind, 3D-printed, gearless titanium unibody hinge mechanism, the lightest on the market (current record)
- 8-inch inner display with variable 120Hz refresh rate and up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness
- 6.4-inch cover display with variable 120Hz refresh rate, with up to 2,500 nits of peak brightness (current record)
- Overclocked Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage
- Unique silicon-carbon 5,000 mAh battery (current record); the thinnest smartphone battery ever; 66W fast wired charging
- 50MP primary camera + 50MP ultra-wide + 20MP telephoto with 2.5x optical zoom + 16MP selfie cameras with up to to 4K 30fps video recording
Honor Magic V2 vs Galaxy Z Fold 5
I’ve compiled the Honor Magic V2’s most important specs above but the truth is that they don’t do it favor, because it’s only when you see the Honor Magic V2 pictured next to phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and iPhone 14 Pro Max when you truly start to recognize what Honor has managed to achieve.
Comparison of Honor Magic V2 and Galaxy Z Fold 5:
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: 13.4 mm thick, 253g
- Honor Magic V2: 10mm thick, 231g (35% thinner, 9.5% lighter than Galaxy Fold 5)
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: 15.8 mm thick, 263g
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5:13.4 mm thick, 253g (15% thinner, 4% lighter than Fold 4)
- Honor Magic Vs: 13mm thick, 261g
- Honor Magic V2: 10mm thick, 231g (30% thinner, 13% lighter than Magic Vs)
Honor Magic V2’s Impressive Thinness and Lightness
Sure, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is getting thinner and lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold 4 but this upgrade starts to look minuscule once the Honor Magic V2 enters the chat. The Chinese competitor is a whopping 30% thinner and 13% lighter than its predecessor, and 35% thinner and nearly 10% lighter than the new Galaxy Z Fold 5 itself – let alone the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Honor Magic V2 is Lighter than “Normal” Premium Phones
Of course, hardware isn’t everything, but in the case of folding phones that desperately need to become as thin and light as “normal” phones, it sort of… is. Speaking of comparing foldables to “normal” phones, the Honor Magic V2 has already achieved the “impossible” – it’s barely thicker than a Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max (in fact, it’s already thinner than some gaming phones), and at only 231g, it’s now lighter than both Samsung and Apple’s “normal” premium flagships, which weigh 234 and 240g respectively.
Honor Magic V2 Fixes the Compromises of Folding Phones
The point is that the main goal of any tablet-style folding phones released today is (or at least should be) to feel like any other “normal” phone when you’re actually using it in its closed form – so more people would actually want to buy it. In other words, the extra productivity and more immersive entertainment experience that come with the larger display of a folding phone shouldn’t compromise the rest of your smartphone features and experience.
The Honor Magic V2 finally manages to do something about that by being lighter than a normal flagship phone. It also has a much larger battery than a phone like the iPhone 14 Pro Max, while booting the fastest Qualcomm chip on the market. The Magic V2 also has a camera system that’s pretty much on par with the one in Apple’s latest flagship. All in all, the latest Honor foldable seems to fix the biggest problem with folding phones, which is that they used to come with a bag full of compromises in order to give you a larger inner screen.
Granted, we haven’t seen/reviewed the actual Galaxy Z Fold 5 (or Honor Magic V2) yet, but if the leaked specs and photos are to be believed, Samsung’s new foldable is shaping up as a relatively small upgrade over the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which means the South Korean giant will no longer have the most impressive foldable hardware on the global market. In fact, the scary part for Samsung is that it might have to settle for 3rd or 4th place in the folding hardware race against the Pixel Fold, OnePlus Open, and Honor Magic V2 this year, as all three manage to look more impressive than…
FAQs
When will the Honor Magic V2 be available globally?
The Honor Magic V2’s global variant is expected to arrive in September, potentially at IFA Berlin.
Will the Honor Magic V2 be available in North America?
No, the Honor Magic V2 is not likely to make it to the US and Canada.
What is the expected release date of the OnePlus Open?
The OnePlus Open is expected to debut at the end of August in the US, UK, and Europe.
How does the Honor Magic V2 compare to the Galaxy Z Fold 5?
The Honor Magic V2 is significantly thinner and lighter than
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